Headaches, Neck Pain, and How Chiropractic Can Help
By Stepy Kamei
They may not seem connected, but neck pain can often be a precursor, or a warning sign, of an impending headache. In fact, many people who experience headaches often notice feelings of neck pain as well, often before the headache starts to become truly noticeable. This is directly related to the health of the spinal column. As it turns out, a "misaligned" spinal column can lead to aches and pains in the head and neck. Fortunately, chiropractic care can help. Keep on reading to learn more about the important connection between spinal health and frequency of neck pain and headaches, including migraines.
Understanding the Importance of Spinal Health
It's important to know a little bit more about how the spinal column works and what it does for the body so you're better able to see how it can have such a noticeable impact on whether you feel aches and pains in your neck and head or not.
The spinal column begins at the base of the skull. This area is known as the cervical spine, which is what we commonly call our neck. This relatively small area is responsible for supporting the entire weight of the head, which averages to about 12 pounds. As you can imagine, this means this area of the spine needs to not only be strong and robust, but flexible and supportive as well. Unfortunately, this flexibility also makes the neck (and therefore the head) much more vulnerable to injury, strain, and general wear and tear.
How the Neck is Vulnerable to Health Issues
The neck has a big responsibility in term of supporting the head as well as the rest of the spine, yet it needs to remain agile and malleable. Unsurprisingly, it can be easily susceptible to the wear and tear of daily life. Sleeping in an uncomfortable position, sitting hunched over in front of a computer screen for hours at a time every day, and not stretching the neck and shoulders enough are just some of the most common ways in which people tend to experience neck pain and discomfort.
From Neck Pain to Head Pain
Frequent neck pain can easily lead to headaches and even migraines down the road. If you're experiencing discomfort in the neck, you may start to experience even more strains as your cervical spine struggles to support the weight of your head in the face of neck pain. This often creates a sort of domino effect in which the head begins to experience pain as well, since it's not receiving proper support from the cervical spine.
Fortunately, chiropractic care can help! Chiropractors are trained to align the spine in natural and safe ways, using manual manipulation techniques. An aligned spinal column is better able to support the entire body, which means you're less likely to experience aches and pain, especially in the neck and head area.
If you're ready to see how chiropractic can help your health and reduce pain, come on in to The Joint Chiropractic clinics today!
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Albuquerque, N.M.